T

heemailarrivesfromaht.org.Iopenit,anditsays
“AFFECTED:ThedoghastwocopiesofthePOAG
mutationandisaffectedwithPOAG.”

Whatdowedonow?
Gemmeis11monthsandoneweekoldwhentheemail

arrives.Iaminshock.

Iemailmywifeatwork.
Gemme’sbreederisJanZigich,andIsendamessageto

her.Ithinksheisinshocktoo.Sheapologizesprofusely,
tellsmeshewillsendusarefund,andadvisesustoget
Gemme’spressurestested.Shealsoshareswhatinformation
shehasabouttreatment.

Myfirstreactionisdenial.IwonderiftheAHTtestis

accurate,soIresearchtheaccuracyoftheirDNAtests.Ifind
somecommentsontheInternetsuggestingthatoneoftheir
DNAtestsforanotherbreedhadaccuracyissues,andIgrab
ontothatidea.

WespendhourstryingtoresearchPOAGforPBGVs.Isee

articlesinprintandpostsontheInternetaboutcopingwith
ablinddogandaboutremovingeyestoreducepain,but
thereisnoinformationaboutwhattodowhenahealthy
dogtests“affected.”Obviously,weneedtogettheeyefluid
(“ocular”)pressurestested,butwhatelseshouldwedo?

Thereisalmostnoinformationoutthere.Howoftendowe
test?What’sagoodpressure?Whendowestartdrops?

Icallmyvet,buthe’sonvacation.Ileaveamessagefor

himtocall.Thestaffathisofficetellsmehedoesnothave
theinstrumenttomeasureocularpressures(calleda
“tonometer”)andthatIcangotoanotherlocalvetwhowill
measurethepressuresandsharethemwithmyvet.

ItalkwithJanaboutophthalmologists.Oneoptionisto

makeanappointmentwithhercanineophthalmologist.He
didtheoriginalCERFtestonGemme,butheismorethan
threehoursaway.IcallIowaStateUniversityVetSchool,less
thantwohoursaway.Itoffersaspecialists’clinic.Iaskfor
anappointment,andtheytellmetheophthalmologists
arebookedupformonths.Imentionglaucoma,andthe
receptionisttellsmethatcanbeanemergencyandthey
maymakeroomforus.Shewilltalktooneofthespecialists
andcallmeback.

Thereceptionistcallsbackandreviewsthelistof

symptoms.DoesGemmehavepainorrednessorweeping
inhereyes?No.Gemmedoesn’thaveanysymptoms,so
theyfitusinthescheduleabouttwoweeksdowntheroad.
Ironically,Bijou,our6-year-oldPBGV,haschronicallyred
eyesthatregularlyweep.Itmakesusquestionwhetherthe

22

www.pbgv.org

Winter2015

ISaberTails

I

PBGVHealthWatch

byBruceToenjes

PhotosbyBruceToenjes

Living

With

an

Affected

Dog

Gemme